What does "necessitude" mean?

The state or characteristic of being in need; neediness.

What is a synonym for "necessitude"?

Common synonyms include: compulsion, duress, obligation.

Pronounced //nəˈsɛsɪt(j)uːd//.

//nəˈsɛsɪt(j)uːd// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The state or characteristic of being in need; neediness. rare
"It had been of all things the most harassing and wearying—a life of dreary necessitude—a perpetual struggle with debt."
2
A circumstance or event which is necessary or unavoidable, especially because it is a requirement of a social role or natural state of affairs. rare
"The Americans. . . fear not the necessitudes of fortune."
3
Necessity. rare
"In Popperian terms, it demonstrates the necessitude of public debate."
4
A relation or connection between people or things. archaic
"The relation and necessitude is trifling and loose, and they are all equally contemptible; because the mind entertains no loves or union."

"It had been of all things the most harassing and wearying—a life of dreary necessitude—a perpetual struggle with debt."

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.